1. Field of the Invention
The invention resides in the field of apparatus for transporting medical patients and more particularly relates to a device for slideably shifting a patient from one patient support to another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of devices designed to facilitate slideably shifting a patient from one support to another are fouled in the prior art. The purpose of these is to avoid lifting or rolling the patient from, for example, a wheeled stretcher to a permanent hospital bed. In particular U.S. Pat. No. 2,528,048, Gilleland, discloses a hinged transfer leaf attached to the side of a stretcher. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,978, Porter, shows a rigid manually applicable bridging panel and U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,736, Fedele, illustrates a track and roller device for moving a patient in a bed.
Semi-flexible or bendable boards or slabs are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,012,799, Rutherfold and 4,067,079, Buchman. The Buchman device is of sufficient thickness to support the weight of a patient and the patient remains atop the slab during the transfer. The Rutherfold apparatus while bendable is not sufficiently flexible to be rolled up for storage. Particular materials suggested for manufacture include stainless steel, fiber glass, MASONITE, or plastic.
The present invention provides an improvement in the above described devices which facilitates the use of such implements in the hospital and patient transfer environments to the increased benefit of the patients residing therein.